From the Urdu Press: ‘Travesty of justice for lakhs of deleted West Bengal voters on eve of Assembly polls’
“The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was pushed not only as an outreach to women but also to rejig the country’s electoral map which could have undermined our federal structure,” writes Munsif
The fall of the Constitution Amendment Bill dominated the headlines in the Urdu dailies through the week (File Photo)
The fall of the Constitution Amendment Bill, linked to delimitation and women’s reservation, in the Lok Sabha, triggering a fresh round of slugfest between the BJP and the Opposition, dominated the headlines in the Urdu dailies through the week. On the eve of polling in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the dailies also kept the focus on the electoral battles shaping in the two big states, whose outcome will have a bearing on national politics in the coming days.
MUNSIF
Commenting on the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 aimed at fresh delimitation and operationalisation of 33% quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, the Hyderabad-based Munsif, in its April 20 leader, points out that the women’s reservation legislation had already been passed by Parliament in 2023. “After the passage of the women’s Bill in September 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed it as a landmark in India’s democratic journey, praising all parties, including the Opposition, for it,” the editorial notes. The new legislative package that the Modi government brought to replace the earlier law fell as it could not get the required two-thirds majority with the Opposition calling it “a delimitation move designed to redraw the constituencies to the BJP’s advantage,” it says. “In an unprecedented move, Modi also made a political address to the nation amid the ongoing Assembly elections, blaming the Opposition for the Bill’s debacle.”
The daily states that the vital issue of women’s reservation was linked to delimitation as part of “a cynical plan to help the BJP tighten its grip on the electoral structure, especially in the Hindi heartland”. The proposal to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats and conduct a delimitation on the basis of the 2011 Census could have led to a higher increase of seats in the Northern states as compared to the Southern ones which have successfully controlled their population, the edit says. “So the 2026 Bill was pushed not only as an outreach to women but also to rejig the country’s electoral map which could have undermined our federal structure.”
The editorial says the key question remains as to “why did the government bring the 2026 Bill when the 2023 Act already exists”. “Notwithstanding its platitudes about women empowerment, what has been the BJP’s track record in giving representation to women leaders,” it asks. “By looking to advance women’s reservation to the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP aimed to garner women votes while shrinking the Opposition’s space. It was a political slogan and an electoral manoeuvre.”
URDU TIMES
Highlighting the controversy over voter deletions in the Election Commission (EC)’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its April 21 editorial, points out that lakhs of voters disenfranchised during the SIR-adjudication process have been left in the lurch ahead of the Assembly elections. These hapless people will now have to move the appellate tribunals to seek justice and get their names reinstated in the voter list. “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had appeared in the Supreme Court to argue her case against the SIR,” the editorial notes, adding that the excluded voters’ appeal cases have now been pending before the tribunals.
While questions have been raised over the functioning of the tribunals, the daily notes, the first phase of the Bengal polls is scheduled on April 23. In the apex court, the next hearing in the matter will take place on April 24. “Lakhs of people whose names have been struck off the electoral rolls would thus be deprived of their right to cast their votes in this election. Judiciary has also failed them. This is a travesty of justice, a tragedy,” it says. “In a democracy, everyone must get equal rights. There is no place for any authoritarian approach in our Constitution. But where is justice for so many disenfranchised people?” the edit asks.
SIASAT
Referring to factory workers’ unrest in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, a major manufacturing hub adjoining Delhi, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its April 15 editorial, points out that workers from several units took to streets to demand better minimum wages and working conditions. “Some of these protesters flagged that they were being forced to work for 12 hours a day while their wages amounted to just Rs 13,000 per month,” the editorial says. “The Noida agitation not only indicated a job crisis, but also reflected the unease and distress of industrial workers and their plight — and their hard struggle for survival. This is a writing on the wall for our governments,” it states, adding that the protesting workers should not allow their stir to turn violent.
The daily points out that this cost of living crisis is not limited to Noida. “Other parts of the country may also face such workers’ unrest. It is incumbent on the government to take all measures to check their exploitation. The role of workers in the rise of the country’s various industries could not be overemphasised,” it notes. Workers should not be pushed to a point where they are forced to hit the streets in protest for their rights, the edit cautions. Underlining huge disparities in incomes, it says while the country’s economy is growing rapidly, its benefits are not reaching workers, leading to disquiet and resentment among them. “The government should not shower sops merely on corporates, but also step up to address the fundamental concerns of workers. This is also essential for ensuring the stability and growth of our economy.”
Share
